Radium
and Barium Removal through Blending Hydraulic
Fracturing Fluids with Acid Mine Drainage
- Publication date
- Publisher
Abstract
Wastewaters
generated during hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus
Shale typically contain high concentrations of salts, naturally occurring
radioactive material (NORM), and metals, such as barium, that pose
environmental and public health risks upon inadequate treatment and
disposal. In addition, fresh water scarcity in dry regions or during
periods of drought could limit shale gas development. This paper explores
the possibility of using alternative water sources and their impact
on NORM levels through blending acid mine drainage (AMD) effluent
with recycled hydraulic fracturing flowback fluids (HFFFs). We conducted
a series of laboratory experiments in which the chemistry and NORM
of different mix proportions of AMD and HFFF were examined after reacting
for 48 h. The experimental data combined with geochemical modeling
and X-ray diffraction analysis suggest that several ions, including
sulfate, iron, barium, strontium, and a large portion of radium (60–100%),
precipitated into newly formed solids composed mainly of Sr barite
within the first ∼10 h of mixing. The results imply that blending
AMD and HFFF could be an effective management practice for both remediation
of the high NORM in the Marcellus HFFF wastewater and beneficial utilization
of AMD that is currently contaminating waterways in northeastern U.S.A